Day: November 13, 2017

Flemish Minister of Brussels Affairs Sven Gatz (Open Vld) agrees with his Francophone counterpart Rachid Madrane (PS) to grant an annual subsidy for three years to support temporary events on the site of the future Brussels museum for contemporary art. The museum is under development in the former Citroën Yser garage. Flemish deputy Karl Vanlouwe (N-VA) however said Wednesday that his party opposed the intentions of the liberal Flemish minister. The Brussels Region acquired the Citroën Yser site to develop a cultural center dedicated to contemporary art. The museum project…

In 2016, the level of Belgian productivity was the highest since the financial crisis of 2008. It has increased by almost 6% compared to 2012. This high level makes Belgium the second most productive country in Western Europe, with Switzerland at the top of the ranking. Labor productivity is defined as the value of output per full-time equivalent (FTE) or employee working full time. In Belgium it was € 296,000 per FTE. The average in Western Europe is 157,000 euros per FTE. The figures were reported in a report yesterday…

The Van Hool company is to manufacture 14 “tram buses” in its Koningshooikt factory (Antwerp Province) for De Lijn. The vehicles will transport passengers in the northern periphery of Brussels as early as 2019, the Flemish public transport company announced on Wednesday. Tram buses are particularly long buses (24 meters), which are intended to combine the efficiency of a tramway and the flexibility of a bus. They are to ensure the “Ringtrambuslijn” between the Heysel and Brussels Airport. They are hybrid vehicles (electric and diesel) capable of transporting up to…

The Minister’s Council approved a measure that will increase the tax reduction given to working single parents. It will mainly help them with childcare costs. The measure concerns single parent families with taxable incomes of less than 18,000 euros. The tax reduction will go from 45% to 65%. This reduction will help with the cost of crèches, after school childcare and camps by organisations like the Youth movement. Parents can get a tax reduction on a maximum of 11.20 euros per childcare day. The reduction will go from 5.04 to…

EU

Plans to take back control of UK fisheries the moment Britain leaves the EU appear to have been abandoned in the face of united EU opposition, dealing a significant blow to the ambitions of the environment secretary, Michael Gove. Gove put repatriating control of fisheries at the heart...